Star Wars: For the Empire
by NuclearDeadline
Summary: Jaina Vitaan, a Storm commando of the Galactic Empire, has distinguished herself as one of the finest soldiers in the Galactic Empire. Valay Ordo is a Mandalorian warrior-turned-bounty hunter hired to harass a Hutt crimelord's vessels. When the two cross paths searching for a Jedi, an unlikely partnership is formed, and loyalties are tested to their limits.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter I – For the Empire**

It was dead-quiet. The only sound one heard was the wind blowing through the tall trees overhead. If one strained hard enough, they may be able to hear the faint sounds of the many animals that lived on the plains of Naboo.

It looked like a twig sticking out of the tree if you saw it from the ground. It lay completely still, unmoving with the swaying of the wind this high up. The barrel was trained on a building not far from the tree itself, sitting in the middle of a small clearing – perhaps a mere two hundred meters from the tree. The tree was situated at the very edge of the clearing.

In the shadow of the dense leaves and foliage on the tree, it was nigh-on impossible to spot the wielder of the rifle. Their armour bore a resemblance to the famed armour of the Scout troopers of the Imperial Stormtrooper corps with one unmistakeable difference – the armour was matte-black.

The building was a relatively small building, no more than twenty meters across and no higher than the trees. It was very out of place in the plains of Naboo, but it was not built by the natives. It dated back to before the Clone Wars; it was once owned by an elderly human hermit who migrated to Naboo from Coruscant when he had had enough of life on the city-planet. He migrated in order to live the quieter existence of a hunter. But, this was short lived. He perished just before the outbreak of war, but it was anyone's guess why. Animals, disease, even a crazed-Gungan attack in the night – the stories were plenty. Now, it was simply an abandoned settlement that had yet to be demolished in the name of Progress. Just outside of the building, five armed guards – none wearing Imperial uniforms but rather civilian clothing – patrolled the perimeter, completely oblivious to the sniper.

The scope was aiming directly at a window on the fourth floor. The room it aimed at was occupied by three people; two humans sitting at one end of a table – both in Imperial officer uniforms – and a Wookiee at the other. The sights were trained on the Imperials.

The sniper had the perfect shot; the guards wouldn't be able to react in time, as the sniper would be on the ground and moving immediately after the shot. They'd be confused and unable to locate the shooter.

The male Imperial officer scratched the back of his head. The sniper knew that was the signal. The sniper aimed directly at the female officer's head and pulled the trigger. The blast carried so much force that the officer's head was severed from her body in a millisecond. The male officer unholstered his sidearm and fired ten shots into the Wookiee, killing him.

Suddenly, multiple squads of Stormtroopers emerged from the treeline, firing as they ran. The guards were caught completely unaware. They fell to the ground, one after the other. In less than a minute, the battle had been won, and with no Imperial casualties.

The sniper quickly descended the tree and joined the Stormtroopers, who were now finishing their sweep of the building. The officer who had shot the Wookiee awaited the sniper at the entrance to the building.

"Great work," he said. "They never saw you coming."

"They never saw _us_ coming," the sniper replied.

The sniper took off her helmet. She was a very beautiful woman. She had been described as "striking" by some. Her brown hair was tied up in a bun so that it fit properly underneath her helmet.

A stormtrooper walked up to the two and saluted.

"What is-" The sniper interrupted the officer.

"What is it, trooper?" she said. She smiled at the officer, who made it clear he wasn't used to being interrupted.

"The captain just got word from Echo-1, ma'am. They're finishing up clearing the tunnels. He requests that you meet at the headquarters."

"Thank you," the sniper said. "You're dismissed."

The stormtrooper swiftly turned and made his way over to his squad.

"So…" the officer said, his voice trailing off. The sniper raised her brow, waiting for the officer to continue.

"We are done, yes?"

Echo-4 nodded her head in affirmation. "Of course," she said. She unexpectedly punched the officer in the face. He recoiled in pain, grasping his now-broken and bleeding nose. She reached for his chest and ripped the Imperial badges from his uniform, tearing his shirt and revealing his skin.

"You are a traitor to the Empire, and traitors will not be tolerated. Arrest this man."

Two stormtroopers swiftly complied, disarming him and pulling the officer's arms back to his side.

"How dare you!" the now-captive officer protested. "Release me at once, you brainless harlot! I am no traitor!"

Echo-4 motioned for the troopers to take him away. She watched them escort the man away, smiling while he shouted indecencies and curses back at her. She loved taking down traitors. She lived for it. People like the officer were her least favourite kind of people; they had no loyalty whatsoever.

Echo-4 waited until the troopers had cleared the area before making her way back to the garrison – the place the trooper referred to as 'headquarters'. She liked her stormtrooper compatriots – although she was a commando herself, she had a fondness for them uncommon in others of her rank, who generally viewed them as simply subordinates. She knew better.

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Compared to the relative calm above, deep underground a battle raged on between Imperials and a small band of insurgents. Blaster fire tore through the recently-blasted tunnels as the three Imperials systematically eliminated any resistance. One-by-one, the anti-Imperial insurgents fell until the tunnels were littered with blaster-charred bodies.

The three Imperials advanced until they had cleared every inch of the tunnel and had come across an out-of-place room the insurgents had clearly been using as a meeting area and pseudo-command post, containing a few tables and hologram emitter in the center. They cleared it with little resistance, annihilating the few insurgents desperately defending the command post. For Imperial commandos, these insurgents were hardly anything but a nuisance. The room was cleared in a matter of seconds.

The three Imperials searched the room for traps or hidden computers, but found none. When they had finished, the three gathered in the center of the room.

"No sign of him," said one Imperial, identified as Echo-2. "Not even a trace."

"Our intel was good," said the leader, Echo-1. "He escaped before we got here."

"Well, shit," Echo-2 replied. "Figured that. Guess he got word of us."

"No shit." The retorting voice belonged to Echo-3, the squad's electronic specialist. "Boss," he said, "just got word from a trooper with Four. Objective's complete. Officer's in custody."

"Tell her to meet us back at headquarters," ordered Echo-1. Echo-3 nodded his head and retorted Echo-1's orders into his commlink. "Let's finish up here."

With that, the squad broke off and began setting explosive charges around the room. "Just a thought, sir," Echo-2 said, planting his charge as he spoke, "but is it possible that officer tipped him off?"

"He's too cowardly," Echo-1 replied, almost laughing at the idea. "He wouldn't. But, we'll 'ask' him to be sure."

"Never liked officers," Echo-2 said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Technically," Echo-3 began, "you _are_ an officer."

"Can it, Three."

"Shut it," Echo-1 coldly ordered. "Four's waiting on us. Finish the charges and let's go."

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The explosion caused by the charges could barely be noticed on the surface. There was practically no evidence of any kind of an explosion. It was contained enough to only cause the room the commandos were in to cave in and destroy everything inside, but not powerful enough to cause a disturbance above.

Echo-4 was back at the garrison, cleaning her rifle in the barracks when she heard from Echo-1 that their objective was complete and they were on their way back. She was wearing her Imperial uniform, and her armour sat beside her on the bunk. She wasn't a very thin woman, but nor was she overweight. She was relatively thick, but shapely. She was slightly taller than the average human woman.

She had just finished cleaning her rifle when the door to the barracks opened and a stormtrooper walked in. He stood in front of her at attention.

"What is it?" she said, picking up the left shoulder of her armour and beginning to polish it.

"The prisoner," the trooper said. "He requests to speak to you."

Echo-4 stopped polishing and looked up quizzically at the trooper.

"And why exactly did you allow him to order you?" she sternly said.

"I thought-"

"You aren't paid to think." She set down the shoulder piece and stood up. She knew the trooper was nervous. "You're dismissed."

The soldier quickly turned and left the barracks. Echo-4 sighed and followed after him. It was nearly night time now. The sun had almost completed disappeared below the horizon beyond the walls of the Imperial garrison.

She swiftly made her way to the holding cells located beside the central building, which held the garrison command center. The officer was sitting on the cot in a small cell near the back of the room, still wearing his torn, blood-stained uniform. He didn't stand up or acknowledge Echo-4's presence. She began to tire of the silence and had lost her patience.

"What did you want?" she finally said. The officer raised his head and looked at her.

"I'm not a traitor." The words left his mouth in a slow and relaxed manner.

Echo-4 laughed at the very notion. The officer's head returned to its original position, stoically staring at the corner where the wall and the floor of his cell met.

"Really?" she said. "You really believe that you aren't a traitor?"

"Yes," he replied. "I didn't-"

"You betrayed the Empire to work with insurgents against our government and subsequently betrayed _them_ at the sound of credits and a promotion. You're a traitor, through and through."

"It's not that simple!" The officer was on his feet now and had practically screamed the words. He took a deep breath before continuing. "The insurgents… They approached me," he said. "They told me… They threatened my family and demanded that I help them."

Echo-4 wasn't certain whether the man was lying in order to gain her sympathy or was telling the truth.

"Either way," she said, "I can't release you. You could have gone to us instead, told us about the situation. We would have protected your family."

"You didn't know those men," he said. "That Wookie… You've heard stories about Wookies? He threatened to-"

The door to the barracks opened and three troopers dressed in the same armour as that worn by Echo-4 walked in.

"Sir," Echo-4 said, snapping to attention.

"Lieutenant," Echo-1 said as he walked up to the cell with the others. "Stand easy."

Echo-4 relaxed. An officer – who had followed the three into the cell area – walked past them and opened the door to the cell. Echo-1 stormed into the cell, grabbed the prisoner by the collar and slammed his back against the wall.

"I want information," Echo-1 demanded. "You're going to give it to me." The prisoner nodded his head in affirmation. "Good."

Echo-2 motioned for the officer who had opened the cell to leave. "We'll call you when you need you," he called after him.

Echo-1 stared into the prisoner's eyes from behind the reflective visor of his helmet. "The insurgents had a man with him – a Rodian. Where did they take him?"

"I don't know!" the prisoner said. "I didn't even know they-"

Echo-1 lifted his knee into the prisoner's stomach. "I have no patience for scum like you. You have one more chance to tell me. Where did they take him?"

"I don't know where!" the prisoner yelled. "But I know how!"

Echo-1 pushed his elbow up against his throat. "Talk."

"A freighter docked at Theed's spaceport last week," the prisoner said. "The captain – a Twi'lek, I think – was acquainted with the officer your sniper killed. She suspected that the Empire was onto the insurgency, and arranged to have the Rodian smuggled off-world on the freighter."

"What was it called?"

"_The Runner_, I believe. Yes, that was it."

Echo-1 released the man and walked out of the cell. He closed the cell himself. "Squad," he said, "barracks. Let's go."

"Roger that, sir," Echo-3 replied. "After you, Two."

"Ladies first, Three," Echo-2 replied, bowing and motioning for Echo-3 to go ahead of him. Echo-3 grabbed Echo-2 and pushed him along.

The squad made their way back to the barracks at-haste. When they got inside, Echo-1 removed his helmet and sat down on a bunk beside it. He didn't have a name, only his Imperial designation, though he used to be known as "Eighty" for his Republic designation: RC-1180. But, no one called him that anymore. He was a veteran of the Clone Wars, having fought for the Republic as a Clone commando. He participated in many battles of the war, including the First Battle of Geonosis, the Battle of Ryloth, and the Battle of Kashyyyk, amongst others. The squad knew little else about him, as he refused to speak about his past, other than to declare his bitter opinion that the Clones were a vastly superior force to what the Empire is now, and that if any of his original squad were alive, his squadmates now would be no match. "Except for Four, she's one of the best I've ever seen," he would usually amend.

Echo-2 was the next to walk in. He sat down on a bunk across the room from Echo-1. Echo-2 was a native of Correllia. His name was Fralen Yarin. He had a tall, slim build. His hair was a dark brown, and his face bore slight stubble. A man of 29 years, he had served with the Empire since enlisting at the age of 18. He trained as a Shock trooper, training in the use of non-standard equipment and explosives. His career was one marked with a few incidents of insubordination, but was otherwise completely spotless. He had seen a number of battles during his tours in the outer rim, the most impressive of which was a little-known insurgency on the mid-rim planet of Jader. Fralen's unit had been assigned to combat the would-be rebellion, but was unprepared for the combat prowess of the rebels. His entire squad was killed – all but him. Stranded and alone, he single-handedly waged an intense guerrilla war against the rebels until reinforcements arrived. He was swiftly commended for his actions and promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. Shortly after, Fralen was given the opportunity to become a Storm commando – an opportunity he couldn't pass up.

The next to enter was Echo-3, who removed his helmet as well and leaned against the wall near the door, looking in to the room. Echo-3's name was Torin Crow. Born on Coruscant 35 years prior, his family abandoned him at a young age. He learned to look out for himself on the streets. Unusually bright for his age, he made a name for himself as a hacker and a thief, eluding the authorities for years. At the age of 24, he was caught attempting to hack into the Imperial Palace's network. He led Imperial troopers on a chase throughout the city, eventually resulting in a standoff at a local cantina. Eventually, he surrendered to the Imperials, knowing he couldn't outrun them. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for attempting to steal classified information, but the higher-ups of the Empire realized the potential in him and offered him a choice: serve in the Imperial army as a tech specialist, or spend the rest of life in prison. He's worked for the Empire ever since.

The last to enter was Echo-4. She sat on the bunk where her armour lay and continued to polish it. The youngest member of the squad – at 26 years old – and also the newest, she was a highly skilled markswoman. Her file indicated she was born on Telos to a family of farmers. Jaina Vitaan lived a quiet existence for the first decade of her life. Living in a remote area of Telos, she learned to fire a blaster very early in her life, and honed her skill more out of necessity than fun. Her father taught her how to survive in the wilderness and how to hunt game, skills she treasured. Shortly after her 20th birthday, she enlisted with the Imperial army and trained in the Stormtrooper Corps as a Scout trooper. Her career has been an extraordinary one, especially for her young age. She was renowned as one of the best snipers in the entire Imperial military, and became the youngest Storm commando ever.

"What now, boss?" Fralen said. "Track it down?"

"That's the plan. I had no intention of allowing the Jedi to get away, Two." Echo-1 stood up and started toward the door. "Four," he said, "get your gear on. We're mov-"

The door opened and an officer stepped in. He clearly wasn't expecting the entire squad to be there, for when he saw them all staring at him he seemed to get rather nervous.

"Echo-1," he said, "Lord Vader wishes to speak with you. In the headquarters."

"Via hololink?" Echo-1 asked, not believing that Vader would come himself.

The officer answered in affirmation. The squad got up from their places and prepared to follow Echo-1, but the officer stopped them.

"Lord Vader requested to speak with Echo-1 alone," he added. The squad looked at one another. Echo-1 shrugged and followed the officer out the door and to the headquarters building. The squad uniformly returned to their positions.

"Wonder what that's about," Fralen thought aloud.

"Boss'll tell us if it's important," Torin said. "And if Vader's telling him personally – as opposed to through the commander – then it's damn important."

"Think it's about the terrorist?" Fralen asked, lying down on the bunk.

"Dunno. Could be about anything."

"Can't you hack into the frequency or something?"

"Two," Torin said, "I already hacked into Imperial frequencies once. Nearly got me life. I'd rather not risk it again."

"Only 'cause you fucked up…"

"I'd love to see you do it, Two."

"I'll stick to blowing stuff up." Fralen smirked at Torin, inviting his ire. He looked over at Jaina, who had finished putting her armour back on and sat on her bunk, fitting her left glove to her hand. "You were a Scout, right?" he asked.

"Yeah," Jaina replied. "Why?"

"It's hard to believe sometimes," Fralen said. "You're not a dick like they are. "

"As far as you know," she replied. "You've only known me a month. Just wait."

"You're from Telos, yeah?" Jaina nodded. "Never been. What's it like?"

"Boring," Jaina replied. "Very, very boring."

"Inquisitive today, aren't you?" Torin said.

"Just getting to know the new girl," Fralen said. "All I know about her is she's hot and can shoot better than you and me. And the boss. Now, that's a feat."

The door opened again and Echo-1 walked in. He grabbed his helmet and rifle and made for the door again. He stopped and turned around in the doorway. "We're being re-tasked," he said. "We're to head to the _Falchion_.Vader has an agent aboard who'll brief us. Imperial intelligence. Beta squad is taking over our investigation. I've already relayed information to Beta-1."

"Re-tasked to do what, sir?" Fralen asked.

Echo-1 did not answer. "Grab your gear and let's go."

Fralen looked at Jaina and sighed. She smirked in return and got up. "For the Empire," she said.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter II – Unexpected Arrival**

The voyage to the _Falchion_ from Naboo was not a long one. It had been waiting in a nearby star system for the rest of its small reconnaissance fleet to arrive, as it was ahead of schedule. The _Falchion_ itself was a recently-built _Imperial-I class _star destroyer, having had its maiden voyage but a year ago. Assigned to the 33rd Reconnaissance Fleet under the command of a Captain Jethis, the ship was a virgin ship, most of its crew unbaptized in the fires of combat. It was a lightly-armed vessel (for an _Imperial-I class _star destroyer), designed with speed in mind. It carried a small compliment of Imperial marines, who – like the crew – had never seen real battle. With these factors in mind, the crew was understandably surprised to find that the head of Imperial intelligence had sent an agent to their ship and ordered them to hold position and wait for a squad of troopers to arrive.

Captain Jethis didn't understand why these events were taking place. Why would an intelligence agent need to use the _Falchion_ as his base of operations? How did he even get aboard in the first place? No one had told him that an agent was aboard. And this squad of troopers, what is so important about them for Imperial intelligence to order the Captain to wait for them? The questions running about his head were many, and the answers were few.

One of his crewmen informed him that the vessel carrying the troopers had arrived. The Captain sighed and told the crewman that he would personally greet them. He dismissed the crewman and made his way to the hanger bay. The vessel carrying the troopers had just touched down. The Captain and a compliment of his first officers lined up, waiting for the door to lower and the troopers to exit. He had questions and he intended for these lowly troopers to answer them, post-haste.

When the vessel doors opened and the troopers walked onto the exit ramp, the Captain immediately understood the secrecy surrounding the troopers, for they weren't even Stormtroopers – they were Storm commandos. The Captain became nervous at the sight of these commandos, but he tried his best not to show it.

"Captain," Echo-1 said, walking up to the man. "I didn't expect a personal greeting."

"Welcome aboard," the Captain said. "It's a pleasure to have troopers of your calibre aboard this vessel."

"Please, Captain," Fralen said. "We are but humble servants of the Empire." Jaina smirked at the thought of Fralen being "humble". He wasn't an egotist, but he certainly wasn't humble.

"I understand that there's an intelligence agent aboard," Echo-1 said. "I have orders to meet with him."

"If only I knew who he was," the Captain said, "I'd be glad to lead you to him. But, I'm afraid-"

A man walked toward the group from behind the officers. He had entered shortly after the officers, but no one noticed him. He wore the uniform of an Imperial officer, the only marked difference being the badge of Imperial intelligence on his chest. He was a relatively short, slim man, with curly brown hair and green eyes. He appeared to be quite young, a bit younger than Jaina.

Echo-1 eyed the man for a moment. "Are you-?"

"Agent Estis," the man said. "You're Echo squad, then? Good. I've been waiting for you."

The Captain attempted to bud in. "How did you get abo-"

"So I've heard," Echo-1 said. "Shall we?"

The man motioned for the squad to follow him as he walked away. The Captain was fuming at his authority being completely subverted aboard his own vessel. "Just a minute!" he protested furiously. It was in vain. The others ignored him and left the hanger. He stood there awkwardly with his officers, who stared at him. He angrily ordered them to their stations.

The agent led Echo squad to his makeshift office – a large formerly-janitorial closet consisting of simply a desk with a terminal on it and a cot attached to the wall. Estis sat down behind the desk and booted up the terminal. "So," he said, addressing Echo-1, "I'm under orders from my higher-ups to provide you and your squad here information on your new assignment."

"Which is?" Echo-1 asked. Estis typed something into his terminal and turned the monitor around so that it faced the others. It displayed a picture that appeared to be a prison mugshot of a middle-aged human male. He had shoulder-length brown hair with spots of grey in it and a scraggly beard. His face had a few scars from battles he had been in before.

"This, ladies and gentlemen," began Estis, "is Olin Parek. He's a Jedi. This picture here is from a few weeks ago. We didn't know he was a Jedi at the time. He made no use of his powers and didn't have a lightsaber on him. He was captured for inciting a riot on Sarrk. Nasty business, that. But I digress. He escaped a few days ago during transport to Coruscant. He broke out of his cell and used an escape pod to, well, escape. He landed somewhere on Nar Shaddaa. Patrols located his escape pod, but it was empty. You, gentlemen and lady, are going to kill him."

"How exactly are we going to find this guy?" Torin asked. "It's Nar Shaddaa. If he wants to be lost, we'll have a hard time finding him."

"You're resourceful troopers," Estis replied. "You _are_ commandos, after all. I have faith that you will locate him."

"Just who is he?" Jaina asked. "Veteran of the Clone Wars?"

"Yeah," Echo-1 said to Jaina. "I remember him. Met him a few times. Fought alongside him at Geonosis. He's impressive. At least, he was."

"He was a general, yes," Estis said. "He fought in many battles of the war. Do not underestimate him. I'll have you know he escaped from a star destroyer with nothing but his wits and the Force."

"We've hunted Jedi before," Fralen added. "We know the drill."

"Which brings up the question," Jaina said, "why is this coming straight from Lord Vader?"

"Yes, I imagine that must be a bit odd. You are not the first to pursue this Jedi."

"What do you mean?" Torin asked. "You sent others?"

"Two squads, yes," Estis said. His face suddenly became solemn. "They did not return."

"You're telling me two squads of the best soldiers in the Empire were taken down by this old Jedi?" Jaina said skeptically. "Soldiers who have no doubt hunted their fair share of Jedi?"

"I don't know what fate has befallen them," Estis said, "but I have received no report from either squad since."

"So," Fralen said, "the logical conclusion is obviously to send a single squad to do what two couldn't."

"What he means," Echo-1 said, "is that surely we are not the only ones you're sending."

"Indeed you aren't." Estis turned his monitor back to him. "Lord Vader is sending another agent who is well-equipped to hunt this Jedi. You should find his particular skill-set more than adequate."

"Alright," Echo-1 said, "where is this agent?"

"I believe he is due to arrive shortly. You may await his arrival aboard this vessel. He shouldn't be long."

"The captain's alright with this?" Jaina said.

"The captain hardly has a choice," Estis said with a grin.

"ETA?" Echo-1 asked.

"Soon. I shall inform you when his vessel is on approach."

"Anything else, agent?"

The agent turned his attention back to his screen – a silent dismissal. Echo-1 turned toward his squad and motioned for them to follow him out of the office. They assembled in the hall just outside the office.

"Well," Fralen said, "what now?"

"We do as the man said," Echo-1 replied. "We wait. He said it wouldn't be a long wait. Occupy yourselves, but make sure I can contact you when he gets here."

"That an order, boss?" Fralen sarcastically said, a smirk on his face.

"How were you made a commando?" Jaina replied.

"I ask myself that every day."

* * *

While Echo-1 went off to speak to the captain regarding requisitioning his squad ammunition and supplies, the rest of the squad went to the mess hall. It was filled with off-duty troopers and crew-members. While the troopers and crew-members mostly sat together at the same tables, officers and scouts seemed to cordon themselves off from the others. Officers sectioning themselves off from the troops were not an uncommon sight at any Imperial installation, garrison or vessel, and neither were scouts avoiding the rest. Scout troopers and regular soldiers rarely got along – mostly due to the scout's insistence on instigating conflict. Their pride and arrogance was legendary amongst the regular forces, and most considered all scouts to have these particularly obnoxious traits.

Fralen spotted an open table near the troopers and pointed it out. The three made their way over and sat down. From here, Jaina could clearly overheard scouts behind her chatting away and the troopers in front of her doing the same. She heard one of the scouts lean over and felt a finger poke her back. She sighed and turned around.

"So, you're a commando?" the scout said, smiling. Unlike how most reacted, this man didn't seem the least bit nervous.

"Yeah," Jaina said. Bored already, she turned around. The scout continued on.

"You don't look like any commando I've seen," the scout said. "Too hot. Way too hot. Shit, didn't think they came in the attractive variety." Jaina simply stayed silent. "You know, I've worked with commandos before. Can't say when – classified and all that, you know?"

"I'm sure," Jaina replied. She hoped the man would pick up on her disinterest. Whether he didn't notice or did and chose to ignore it, he continued.

"The guy I worked with, he wasn't all that good. If you're anything like him, I bet I could take you."

Fralen burst out laughing. "You? Take _her_? Yeah-fucking-right. She's the best shot in the Imperial Military, far better than any of you other scout-fucks."

The scout looked back at his friends, who all had the same mischievous smile. He turned back to Jaina.

"Whaddya say you an' I settle this? We can head back to my bunk and settle it there."

Jaina laughed, hard. "Yeah, you're so not my type, buddy."

The scout clearly didn't appreciate the fact that she laughed at him and brushed him off. His ego was at risk. He shot out of his seat. Torin immediately got up and placed himself between Jaina and the scout. He was easily a head taller than the scout. Jaina just noticed that the entire mess hall had gone silent and had been watching in anticipation – even the officers were waiting for the next move.

"It's fine, Three," Jaina said, getting out of her seat. "He's just trying to rile us up. I was a scout – I know this shithead's type. Ignore him. Besides, he knows we're commandos for a reason."

Torin looked at Jaina. He nodded and sat back down. The scout smirked and sat down as well. The rest of the mess hall returned to its normal state.

"Guess word got around about us," Fralen said. "Was hoping we could just come here and not have anyone notice, but I guess that was too much to ask for."

"Yeah, a little," Jaina said. "How could word get around, though? Doesn't make sense."

"Dunno. Maybe the captain said something."

"Not our problem," Torin said. "We'll only be on this ship, what, a few hours at most? The agent said this guy's arrival wouldn't take long."

* * *

"Captain," Echo-1 called as he spotted Captain Jethis down the hall. He was walking alongside two officers, likely on his way to the bridge. Captain Jethis quietly let out an annoyed sigh and turned to face the commando.

"What is it?" he said. "I'm in a hurry."

"I'm sure you are, Captain," Echo-1 said. "My squad needs ammunition and supplies. I was hop-"

"Will it get you off my back?" the Captain shot back. "I have important things to do, soldier, and I can't waste time on special operatives and Intelligence agents."

"I apologize for the inconvenience, Captain. But this is as inconvenient for my squad as it is for you. We were in the middle of an investigation with our target just out of grasp. Surely you understand the frustration at being reassigned during such circumstances."

The Captain calmed down. "The quartermaster will get you what you need. You have full access." He looked over at one of the officers he was walking with and silently signalled for him to give the quartermaster the news. "Is that all, commando?"

"Yes, Captain. Thank you." Echo-1 had just turned around to leave when the Captain heard a voice in his commlink.

"Commando," he said. Echo-1 turned around. "Wait a moment." Echo-1 politely waited as the Captain listened to his commlink. "The agent has informed me that an... arrival... you were waiting for is here. In the docking bay."

* * *

Echo-1 called his squad over the commlink and met them in front of the hanger bay. They entered the hanger and immediately noticed the vessel. It stood out due to the fact that, unexpectedly, it was not an Imperial vessel. At least, it had no clear indications of it being so. It was a relatively small vessel, no larger than a freighter. The ship's hull was black, lined with red on the edges. It was armed with a turret just underneath the lip of the cockpit at the front of the vessel and a significantly more powerful one at the center of the top portion of the hull.

The squad – as well as the Captain and agent Estis – assembled at the rear of the vessel. The exit ramp made a hydraulic sound as it slowly lowered. They watched as a figure descended the ramp. It wore a black robe with the hood casting a concealing shadow over its face. Silver-coloured armour could be seen underneath the robe, glinting with the light as the figure moved.

"Welcome to the _Falchion_," Captain Jethis said. "I would have prepared a formal greeting, but the agent-" The figure ignored the Captain entirely and walked past him to agent Estis. Once more, the Captain was furious.

"Estis," the figure said. Its voice sounded as if it were being projected through a vocabulator, and as such sounded slightly mechanical. "This is the squad?"

"Yes, my Lord," Estis replied. The entire hanger was inspired with a sense of fear and dread at the words, "My Lord." They knew what that meant. "This is Echo squad," Estis continued. "They are quite accomplished among their peers and have hunted Jedi before. You'll find that they are the best at what they do."

"I certainly hope so," the figure replied. "Come." It motioned for the commandos to follow it to the ship. "We will discuss the mission further aboard my vessel. We depart immediately."

Fralen looked at Jaina and shrugged. The squad followed Estis and the robed figure aboard the vessel. The ramp ascended behind them. They followed the robed figure through a corridor to the center of operations, at the very center of the vessel. It consisted of a holoprojector/holocommunicator in the middle and storage compartments along the walls. The figure stood at the end of the holoprojector closest to the hall leading to the bridge, and the others gathered around it.

Here, Jaina could see what was under the figure's hood. It was a metal mask. The visor of the mask was fashioned similar to that of the Mandalorians'. The mask itself was made of a silverish metal, oddly barely reflecting light. It filled Jaina with a sense of fear. She didn't like this... thing, however civilized it acted. She felt as if it emanated evil.

"You've briefed them, yes?" the figure asked.

"Of course, my Lord."

"Good." The figure linked its hands behind its back. "You will call me Lord Kratus. I will be working alongside you and agent Estis to hunt this rogue Jedi. As you're aware, several have been sent before us to locate and assassinate him. They have not returned. Our mission is not to rescue them. They are not our priority. We are to eliminate the Jedi using any means necessary." The figure looked around at the commandos. "Are there any questions?"

"None, my Lord," Echo-1 replied.

"Good. I had a feeling Estis was correct about you. The agent will show you to your quarters."

Estis motioned for the commandos to follow him. He led them to a room consisting simply of four cots and footlockers underneath each. It was rather Spartan in design, as was much of the vessel. It had only what it needed. "These are your quarters," Estis said. "My office is just down the hall, to the left. You will speak to me, not Lord Kratus. You will only speak to him if spoken to, and you will show him the utmost respect."

"Yeah," Fralen said, "so it's the same as it is with Lord Vader. We know the drill." He stepped past and claimed a bunk as his own, setting his equipment down on it. The others followed suit.

"We shall be leaving the _Falchion_ behind momentarily," Estis said. "I will set in the course for Nar Shaddaa." With that, Estis left the room and the door closed behind him. Jaina sat down on her bunk. Torin and Echo-1 had removed pieces of their armour and were cleaning them, while Fralen was laying on his back, staring at the roof.

"So," Fralen said. "A Sith Lord. And one that isn't Vader, no less."

"Yeah," Torin said. "We saw."

"Just sayin'. Creepy, ain't he?"

"He's a Sith," Jaina said. "They're supposed to be creepy."

"You alright back there?" Fralen said to Jaina. "You seemed a little freaked out by the guy."

"I'm fine," Jaina said, deflecting the question. "It's nothing, really. I've just... He's the first Sith Lord I've ever met. I thought Lord Vader was the only one."

"So did I," Torin added in. "Him and the Emperor. Guess there are a few more kicking around, eh?"

"Evidently," Fralen said. "Hey, I'm just gonna avoid pissing him off."

"You?" Jaina said. "Avoid pissing _anyone_ off? Good luck, Two."

"I love you too, Four. Ice cold."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter III – The Hutt**

The ship was dead-quiet as it travelled through hyperspace to its destination. Jaina had been told that the ship was named the _Ravager_ – some sort of homage to a millennia-old warship of the same name. Jaina knew neither the original vessel nor its owner.

Jaina sat on her bunk, waiting until the vessel arrived at Nar Shaddaa. The trip wouldn't be an overly long one (for hyperspace travel, anyway), but Jaina found herself quickly becoming bored whenever she had to travel on a space-faring vessel. Although she was a woman of infinite patience – as was required of her profession – she found it difficult to occupy her time during space travel. She would usually do as she was then: stay on her bunk and listen to the engines; or, alternatively wander about the vessel.

She was alone in the room, the rest of her squad having left a few minutes prior to get food. Jaina wasn't hungry. This vessel made her uneasy, as did its master. It felt different from most Imperial vessels. Imperial vessels metaphorically screamed 'order'; everything had its place and everything was monotone. Grey was the colour of choice. Although this ship was most certainly ordered and tidy, it resonated darkness, again like its master.

Lord Kratus, he called himself. Jaina wondered if the title had any sort of meaning. Was Kratus a Sith word, or was it his name prior to becoming a Sith Lord? She wondered how many people had ever met this Sith Lord and lived to tell the tale. _Probably very few_, she reasoned.

His dark cloak stuck in her mind. It was blacker than black; darker than the darkest shadow. All light seemed to be consumed by its very presence.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard the door open. She looked over and saw Darth Kratus standing in the doorway, his armour shining dimly under his cloak. Jaina scrambled to get off of her bunk and stand at attention as the Sith walked toward her.

"There's no need to be so formal," Darth Kratus said, the vocabulator in his mask serving to stifle his attempt to calm Jaina. "Please, I expect respect but I do not expect to be treated as one of your weakling officers. I am Sith, not a trust-fund brat fresh from the Academy."

"I apologize, my Lord," Jaina said, relaxing her stance but not her mind. She was nervous in his presence. There were a few moments of silence before Darth Kratus spoke once more. She felt his gaze upon her from behind his mask.

"Do not fret over it," he said. "We are to work together. While I am in command of this mission, I would prefer you to think of me as your comrade. At least, for the time being."

"Yes, my Lord."

"I have a few questions, if you don't mind."

"Not at all, my Lord."

"Good," Darth Kratus said. Jaina had a feeling he was going to ask questions, even if she said 'no'. "You _are_ from Telos, yes?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"How long did you live there?"

"Twenty standard years, my Lord."

"Good," he said. He seemed to be checking her answers. "That is where you learned to shoot so well?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Of course. I've heard those from isolated areas make the best snipers. Shooting is a necessity on the frontier. I've heard cannoks are particularly unpleasant." Jaina did not reply. The Sith paused for a moment. He locked his hands behind his back and slowly walked around Jaina. She felt his eyes scanning her body.

"You are quite beautiful, Lieutenant," Darth Kratus said. "Perhaps we can use this to our advantage. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes, my Lord." Jaina was becoming increasingly uncomfortable in Kratus' presence.

Darth Kratus stopped directly in front of Jaina, his mask no more than thirty centimeters from her face. "You _are_ willing to do what is necessary to accomplish our mission, yes?"

The door to the room suddenly opened. It was the rest of Echo squad, returning from their sojourn to the mess hall – or what passed for one aboard the small vessel. Led by Echo-1, they stopped immediately upon entering the room and shot to attention in front of the Sith. Darth Kratus turned away from Jaina and walked past the commandos, neglecting to acknowledge them as he left. The door closed behind him and the entire room relaxed.

"That guy still freaks me out," Fralen said. "It's the mask. It's so... I don't know, Sithy."

"Sithy?" Torin replied. "That's not even a word." He turned to Jaina, who was still standing in the center of the room. "You alright, LT? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I'm fine," Jaina said. "I just... Wasn't quite expecting him to drop in."

"Yeah, he's something else. Freaks us all out. Except for the Boss, of course."

"Agent Estis says we're almost at the Smuggler's Moon," Echo-1 said. "He's giving a briefing in a few minutes."

"We know how to hunt a Jedi," Fralen said. "We've done this a million times."

"Have you _been_ to Nar Shaddaa, Two?" Torin laughed. "If someone wants to get lost – even a Jedi – they'll get lost. We'll have one Hell of a time finding him here, and he knows it. If Estis has leads or somewhere for us to start, we should take it."

"I agree," Jaina said. "This place is worse than Coruscant. No offence, Three. There are a lot of ways to evade anyone here, even the Empire. If he knows we're onto him, we'll need all the help we can get."

* * *

It wasn't long before Estis called the briefing. The squad gathered around the holoemitter and waited for Estis to begin. Darth Kratus was absent from the briefing.

"We're about to land on Nar Shaddaa," Estis began. "For any of you who have not had the 'pleasure' of visiting this world, it is the ass-end of the galaxy. Full of vice, murder, lawlessness – no place for a loyal citizen of the Empire. Olin Parek knows the Smuggler's Moon well. As such, finding him will prove difficult. This place is unfriendly to Imperials and he knows it. Nar Shaddaa is ruled by various crime lords, and one of these crime lords may have information as to Parek's whereabouts: Pikka the Hutt. Pikka runs a large-scale 'shipping' operation not far from our scheduled landing pad."

"Pikka?" Torin said. "Think I've heard that name before. Usually associated with gang violence and shipping goods."

"I recommend questioning Pikka for Parek's whereabouts at your first opportunity," Estis continued, "though she is rather unlikely to simply divulge said information."

"I think a little Imperial muscle will make her 'divulge' whatever we wish," Fralen said, cracking his knuckles.

"Not quite," Estis said. "The Empire has found Pikka difficult to work with in the past. Convincing her to cooperate will require tact."

"Then what's the plan?" Echo-1 said. "Ask her nicely?"

"She will want something in return for the information," Estis said. "Talk to her. See what the overgrown slug wants in return and give it to her. She is our only lead." Estis tapped the holoemmitter and a map of the landing dock and the surrounding area appeared. A path was highlighted with an orange line, leading to a large building. "This is the map to her 'palace'. Echo-1, I've uploaded the route to your datapad. You are to leave immediately."

"Quick question, sir," Fralen said. Echo-1 eyed him curiously. "Let's say Pikka is… Uncooperative. What then?"

"If that is the case, Echo-2," Estis said, "rest assured that I have engineered another plan. Any more questions?"

"None, sir."

"Perfect," Estis nodded. "Dismissed."

* * *

"I hate civilian clothing." Fralen tugged at his grey jacket as the squad descended down the ramp of the ship and onto the landing pad. "I feel naked without my armour. Heavy, protective plastoid armour. That's what I like to feel on my body, you know?"

"That's all, Two?" Torin said.

"Piss off, Three," Fralen said, punching his arm.

When she stepped off the ramp, Jaina stopped in her tracks and looked around. It had been over a decade since she had last been to Nar Shaadaa, and she had not been particularly eager to return. The first thing she noticed was the stench. It was just as overwhelming as she remembered it to be. It smelled of garbage and bio-waste. It smelled as dirty as it looked. This particular landing dock was garbage-free, but Jaina noticed that the adjacent docks had garbage lined up in the alleyways that connected them to the rest of the sector. The buildings were towering like on Coruscant and it bustled with activity, but the smog that was constantly present and the layers of dirt and grime that seemed to cover everything eliminated any resemblance to Galactic City that the Smuggler's Moon may have had.

Jaina felt the holdout blaster hidden underneath her jacket poking into her ribcage. Each member of the squad was carrying a weapon, just in case. The design of the weapons ensured that they would not be detected by a guard, even if they pat the wielder down. The only way to detect them was by strip-search or a scanner.

A human man was walking toward the squad from the alley. He looked to be in his forties. He donned a brown hat that hid his greying hair, the hat stained with oil and grease from the many ships that he had serviced over his years of operating this landing pad. He wasn't a fat man, but nor was he particularly fit. Adorned on his face was a scraggy beard, just as stained as his hat. He opened his mouth to speak.

"You Mister, er…" He stopped to look at the datapad in his hand. "Drelik!" He said. His voice was coarse and sickly. It sounded as though his lungs had inhaled the fumes of the Smuggler's Moon all his life, and they were taking their toll.

"I am," Echo-1 replied. "I trust the appropriate funds have been transferred to your account?"

"A well-spoken man!" The man said as his face lit up. "Not a lot of those on this moon. Forgive me, sir, but the attire of you and your crew threw me off. I expected thugs, or mercenaries."

"You're rather quick to jump to conclusions," Echo-1 said. "Is there anything else?"

"I was just wonderin' if you needed any work done on your-"

"No," Echo-1 quickly shot, pushing past the man. The rest of the squad followed suit. Jaina accidentally made eye contact with the man, who was still smiling. He didn't seem at all off-put by Echo-1's untowardness. He simply shrugged and went on with his own business.

The squad made their way down the alley and into the rest of the sector. It was quite crowded, with plenty of people coming and going to the different shops and buildings that lined the walls of the street. Some shops were but stalls with items hanging from their ceiling, while others where traditional shops. Despite this area's apparent function as a marketplace, it still looked and smelled of a slum. The metal streets were rusting and decaying and the walls were no better.

Pikka's 'palace' was just across from where the squad entered onto the street, easily distinguishable from the other buildings by the three large Gamorreans standing outside, axes in hand. They stood at least a couple feet taller than the tallest human in the crowd, and were about three times as wide.

The squad walked over to the guards, Echo-1 leading the way. The guards simply stared down at him. They barely even acknowledged their existence.

"We need to see your boss," Echo-1 said. The Gamorrean snorted in response. "It's very important that we speak with Pikka. We have an opportunity that may work in both of our favour." Once more, the Gamorrean simply grunted.

"Hang on, Boss," Fralen said, stepping forward. "Let me handle this." Echo-1 stepped back and allowed Fralen to place himself in front of the Gamorrean. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his credit chit. "Listen," he said, "I know you guys probably don't get paid a whole lot, yeah? So here – I think we can help each other out. What do you say?" The Gamorrean grunted again. Fralen turned around and simply shrugged. "Fuck it."

"Not very friendly, are they," Jaina said. "That, or they're abnormally loyal for criminals."

"They don't even speak basic, hon," a female voice said from behind. The squad turned their heads – almost in unison – to see a dark blue-skinned twi'lek standing behind Jaina. "You won't get anywhere with them. Bribes are useless."

"And you have a better idea?" Fralen said. The twi'lek smirked and pushed Fralen out of the way. She walked up to the Gamorreans and looked up at the lead guard. When he saw her, he simply moved out of the way. She turned around and motioned for the squad to follow. Fralen shrugged and turned to Echo-1, his face still serious and showing of skepticism. He motioned for the squad to follow the twi'lek.

They entered into a dark, narrow hallway, illuminated only slightly by the dim lights on the ceiling, flickering every now and then. There was a thick air of mugginess about the hallway, and it felt very humid and hot.

"You work for Pikka, don't you?" Torin asked as they walked down the hallway.

"You could say that," the twi'lek said. "The name's Adala Ren. Pleasure."

"Why'd you help us get in?" Jaina asked. "You don't know us."

"That's the fun part," Adala said, turning her head slightly to reveal a smirk. "You could be assassins, or thieves. And if you four were stupid enough to actually try something, then there'd be a firefight. Wouldn't that be fun?"

"I like this lady," Fralen whispered quietly to Jaina.

"Anyway, who are you guys?" Adala asked. "Please say 'assassins.'"

"Our business is for Pikka alone to know," Echo-1 sternly replied. "Not his lackey."

"I'm not a 'lackey,'" Adala shot back. "I'm a mercenary, under contract with Pikka."

The hallway opened up into a large, square room. It was filled with mercenaries and gangsters of all races, from humans to gamorreans and even sullustans.

"That's a lot of mercenaries," Jaina whispered to Torin. "This usual for gangsters?"

"Sometimes," Torin said. "Depends if the gang boss is gearing up for a fight. Judging by the look of things here, I'd say that's the case."

Adala led the group through the room to a large door guarded by heavily-armed war droids. Each of them was armed with a heavy repeating blaster that looked far too heavy for a human to carry. One of the droids held out its hand and stopped the group.

"State your business," the droid said.

"Adala Ren," Adala said. "Here to see the boss."

"And the others?"

"They're with me." There was a momentary pause. The droid moved its hand out of the way and activated the switch behind it. The magnetically-sealed door made a loud sound as the lock deactivated, and it started to open.

The door opened to reveal another large, dark, humid room. The room looked to be in as much a state of disrepair as the rest of the building, and was just as bustling with activity. In the middle sat Pikka the Hutt.

"Adala Ren," Pikka greeted as she saw the group enter her 'throne room'. "A pleasure, as usual."

"Of course it is, Your Eminence," Adala replied. "I'm just that pleasant."

"And you bring guests into my palace. Who are these humans, Adala?"

Echo-1 stepped forward. "Your Eminence," he said, "my associates and I have a matter of great importance to discuss with you."

"Doesn't everyone?" Pikka said, disinterested. "Unless your 'matter of great importance' is going to profit me in some significant way, then please, remove yourselves from my palace immediately."

"We come representing the Galactic Empire," Echo-1 said, bringing his legs together and clasping his hands behind his back. "We request your cooperation in locating a fugitive."

"Ah! The Empire!" Pikka laughed. "Your 'Empire' carries little weight in these walls."

"We do not expect something for nothing, Your Eminence," Echo-1 said. "You need only to state your terms and we will do our best to satisfy them. You have my word."

"Your word," Pikka scoffed. "The 'word' of your Empire means nothing as well. You are quick to turn back on your word."

"Pikka," Echo-1 said, "I am offering you our services. My squad and I are no normal Stormtroopers. Surely our skillset will be of use to one such as you."

Pikka thought for a moment. She motioned for Adala to come closer to her. She walked over and whispered something into her ear. Pikka then turned her attention back to Echo-1.

"Human," she began, "you and your companions may be of use to me. There is a rather annoying… What is the phrase, 'thorn in my side'? Many of my vessels en route to Coruscant have been hijacked. As my entirely legitimate operation is based around the shipping of goods, you understand my frustration. Adala here leads a rather large group of mercenaries that I have contracted. You will accompany them, and will ensnare the would-be pirates in an unescapable trap."

"Before we agree to this deal," Echo-1 said, "I must confirm you have the information we seek."

"A business man and a soldier," Pikka replied. "Of course. Who is it your lords seek?"

"Olin Parrek."

"That is certainly a name I know well," Pikka replied. "I do indeed have the information you require. Now, do we have a deal?"

"We do," Echo-1 replied. "Our blasters are yours. We will stop the hijackings – permanently."

"Ha!" Pikka laughed. "Well done! If you Imperials come through, I promise you will have the man you seek. Now go. Adala, you will brief the Imperials on the details of your plan. I trust you will all succeed. Of course, with the finest mercenaries in the galaxy accompanied by Imperials, I expect great things."

"Indeed, Your Eminence," Adala said. "We will not let you down."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter IV – The Hunter**

Twenty seconds. Twenty seconds until the charge on the door would blow, killing or disorienting anything on the other side. All Valay needed to do now was wait.

Fifteen seconds now. Valay quickly did a once-over of his blaster rifle. Everything was in order; full on ammunition and just as efficient a weapon as it had always been. He maintained it well – it was something he took great pride in. A warrior's weapons are of utmost importance, after all.

Five seconds. Valay readied himself to breach the room. He lowered the rangefinder on his helmet and quickly set it to instantly perform a facial scan on anything on the other side. If his target was in the other room – and he was almost certain it was – then he would know who not to kill.

An audible beeping sound was emitted from the device, signalling that it was about to blow. The charge activated and the door was blown right off its hinges. Valay tossed a flashbang grenade in the room for good measure. It exploded, deafening and blinding anyone in the room.

Valay rounded the corner, rifle raised. The rangefinder immediately highlighted four targets; three humans and a rodian standing behind a table in the center of the small room, all armed with blaster pistols and all trying to regain their bearings amidst being blinded and deafened. One of the humans was highlighted by the rangefinder as "Rolan Uro", with a bounty posting and reward displayed in the top right portion of Valay's visor.

In under a second, Valay fired three shots: two at the heads of the other two humans, and one at that of the rodian. All connected with their targets, killing them instantaneously. Valay advanced toward Rolan and hit him in the stomach with the stock of his rifle. Rolan recoiled, still blind and deaf from the flashbang and utterly unaware of what was happening. Valay kicked his feet out from under him, causing him to slam into the floor with an audible 'thud'. Valay grabbed his hands and placed them behind his back. He tied them with a steel wire from his wrist-launcher and pulled Rolan to his knees.

Rolan was starting to regain his senses as he sat there on his knees. The first thing he saw was the Mandalorian's helmet staring back at him.

"What the fuck?" Rolan said. "Who are you?"

"The one who's claiming your bounty, Uro," Valay replied.

"You just made a big mistake, Mandalorian," Uro spat. "You just killed three of Pikka's top guys and tied up one of her lieutenants. You fuckin' sure you wanna do this? Fucking idiot. You pro'lly ain't even a Mandalorian. Shit, pro'lly just fucking stole that arm-"

Rolan was cut off by Valay's armoured gauntlet colliding with his jaw. He spat blood – mixed with a few teeth – and attempted to regain his posture.

"You're only worth two hundred more credits alive," Valay said. "So I'm going to give you one chance to explain why I shouldn't bring in your corpse."

"Because, you stupid fuck," Rolan said, "I'm one of Pikka's lieutenants. You kill me, you'll have a price on your head bigger than whatever the fuck is on mine."

"Try harder."

"Are you shitting me?" Rolan practically yelled. "Are you fucking stupid? You won't make it past a week if you take me out!"

"How pessimistic." Valay raised his rifle and aimed it Rolan's head. "You've failed to convince me, Uro. Good night."

Valay pulled the trigger, and a blaster bolt shot straight through Uro's head, carving a clean hole out the back of it. His corpse slumped awkwardly backward and finally fell to the ground. Valay stared at the body for second.

"Pathetic," he said to himself. He kicked it and it twitched slightly. He knelt down beside Uro's body. "Honestly," he said, looking at the corpse, "I had no intention of actually taking you in alive. Sorry, friend. Two hundred credits aren't worth the trouble."

Valay picked up Uro's corpse and threw it over his shoulder. He carried it out of the room and down the hallway toward the exit of the building. He touched the switch to open the door and walked out into an alleyway on the streets of Iziz, the capital of Onderon.

Through a combination of the usage of sewers, alleyways and a secret passage or two, Valay eventually made his way back to the docking bay that housed his vessel. He discreetly got onboard his ship, careful not to be seen by anyone, as he knew that walking around with a body was bound to garner some negative attention.

Once aboard the relatively compact vessel, he immediately brought the body to the cargo bay and put it inside a body bag. He then brought it to the vessel's onboard medbay and placed it in a freezer in order to prevent the body from decomposing. He doubted that the one who issued the bounty would want a decomposing corpse for his prize, and Valay frankly did not want to have to deal with the smell of a decomposing corpse for the entirety of his flight to the coordinates the bounty poster had relayed to him.

Valay went to the cockpit, sat down in the pilot's seat and started the engines. He was just eager to drop this corpse off and collect his dues.

* * *

"Yes, Izqus," the man said, looking out the window into space. "I've been told he's the best that money can buy. He _is_ a Mandalorian."

"Mandalorians aren't always reliable," the trandoshan replied. He was sitting at a table in the center of the room, his eyes also looking out into space. "You should have listened to me and hired a trandoshan."

"Of course _you'd_ say that," the man replied. "But there's something about this one. He's got the gift. He's got one Hell of a reputation. The man's a warrior and a hunter."

"Mandalorians are thugs, Kell," Izqus replied. "Hunting is part of my people's culture. We are bred for it. If you truly wish for results, you should have hired one of us. You should have let me go after him."

The door to the room opened and the two turned to see who had entered. A man dressed in black and red Mandalorian armour walked in, carrying a body bag over his shoulder. He walked in and dropped the body bag onto the table, in front of Izqus.

Kell smirked at Izqus. Trandoshans were hard to read, but it was easy to tell that Izqus was not impressed. Kell walked over and unzipped the body bag, revealing Rolan's face, with a hole through the forehead.

"Well done," Kell praised. "You came through. My trandoshan friend here doubted you," he said, tilting his head toward Izqus. "Rolan was no easy mark."

"He was easy enough," Valay said. "Let's talk payment."

"Of course," Kell replied, "straight to business. Very professional. The price for his head was twenty thousand dead, yes?"

"I want forty," Valay countered. "The information you gave me didn't mention he had friends. Plus, the cost to locate him wasn't small."

"Forty thousand is unacceptable," Kell replied. "Twenty thousand is a reasonable price, I feel."

"I disagree," Valay said. "If you won't give me forty, then thirty-five is enough."

"Thirty," Kell said. "That's my final offer."

Valay thought for a moment before replying. He held out his hand. "Deal."

Kell smiled and shook his hand. "Wonderful," he said. "How glad I am to finally be rid of this idiot. Izqus, would you mind disposing of this corpse before it begins to rot?"

Izqus glared at Kell. He sighed, picked the corpse up off the table and left the room. Kell picked up a glass that was sitting on the table and pressed a button on the table. A droid carrying a plate with a bottle of alcohol on it and another glass came through the door. It took the bottle and glass off the plate and placed it on the table, then exited the room once more. Kell poured himself a drink.

"Would you like one?" he said, motioning toward the other glass. "Ithicus Wine. Almost a century old. There are barely a hundred of these still in existence."

Valay said nothing, instead choosing to stand there with his arms crossed.

"Always the professional," Kell sighed, taking a sip of his wine. "Come now. Remove your helmet and have a friendly drink. We are friends, after all."

"No," Valay coolly replied, "we are not. You are my employer – for the moment."

"Employer?" Kell asked, feigning ignorance. "What made you think I've another job for you?"

"You'd have let me leave otherwise," Valay replied. "Instead, you stalled, offering me wine in an attempt to keep me in this room." Valay slowly began to walk closer to Kell, looking around the room as he spoke. "There are two reasons someone like you would stall me – either you wish to offer me another job, or…" He stopped very close to Kell, so close that Kell could see the colour of his own eyes in Valay's reflective visor. "You wish to dispose of me instead of paying me."

Kell smiled. "Nonsense," he said. "I could not possibly best a fine specimen such as yourself, Mr. Ordo."

"Of course," Valay stated. "But, if you had laced my drink…"

"I poured from the same bottle I'd have poured your drink," Kell said, still smiling. "I also drank from my glass."

"Perhaps the glass you were going to give me is itself laced. Designed the release poison from its very structure in response to alcohol."

Kell paused for a moment. His smile growing wider. "Very good. You're impressive."

"So I've been told."

"Well, Mr. Ordo, you would be correct." Kell walked over to the table and sat down where Izqus had sat previously. "I do indeed have a proposition for you."

"What is it?"

"It is rather simple, really. I want you to join a team of like-minded individuals such as yourself that I've assembled these past months. A vacancy recently opened up and I need another man to fill it."

"What exactly will this 'team' be doing?"

"You're already familiar with Pikka the Hutt – self-professed 'shipping empress' and crimelord."

"What of her?"

"You are aware that her vessels have recently come under a string of pirate attacks, yes?"

"That was you," Valay deduced.

"That was my team, yes." Kell took another sip of his wine and set the glass back down on the table. "And I need a man of your ability on that team."

"Expecting trouble?" Valay questioned.

"I'm always expecting trouble. So, what do you say?"

"Mr. Kell," Valay said, "I think you've hired yourself a Mandalorian."

"Fantastic!" Kell exclaimed, picking up the glass once more and downing the rest of the drink. "Izqus!"

The door to the meeting room opened and Izqus promptly stepped in. "Kell?" The trandoshan hissed.

"I think you'll be pleased to know that you have a new partner. Please, escort him to meet the rest of the team and get him briefed as soon as possible."

"But-" Izqus tried to protest, but was cut off by Kell.

"Make him feel at home, Izqus."

"I… Yes, Kell." Izqus looked at Valay. "You, Mandalorian. Follow me."

Izqus led Valay out of the room and through the hallways of the large space station. Valay wasn't entirely clear on just who Kell was. All he knew was that he owned this station, and that it appeared he had an infinite amount of resources. Valay had no idea where Kell's credits came from, and he didn't care. As long as some of those credits were going his way, Valay didn't care where they came from.

Eventually, Izqus stopped in front of a door and opened it. He motioned for Valay to enter, and he did. The room was a large living quarters, with a number of bunk beds and footlockers lined up along both walls and a small entertainment suite complete with a vidscreen and the best sound system money could buy was situated at the far wall.

A number of mercenaries were scattered throughout the room, some sitting on their bunks and a few utilizing the entertainment suite. Rodians, humans, trandoshans, and even a few Zabraks. Most of the mercenaries looked like they had never seen any real combat; perhaps they'd been involved in small exchanges between petty gangs, but Valay guessed from their appearances that they had never truly fought. Most were armed solely with blaster pistols at their sides, while a few had cheap, poorly-maintained black market blaster carbines slung over their shoulders.

The mercenaries stared at Valay as he entered the room, each with varying degrees of fear and respect on their faces. It was likely they had never seen a Mandalorian before. To them, Valay looked like a walking tank, with his Mandalorian battle armour and military-grade rifle.

A small group of mercenaries stood out from the rest. The group of four – a Wookie, a male twi'lek, a male human and a female human – were each adorned in rather heavy-duty combat armour, and carried with them military-grade weaponry. Their armour was coloured black with white designs throughout the armour, creating the appearance that – unlike the other mercenaries – these four were a cohesive unit.

"This is your team," Izqus said, pointing to the heavily-armed mercenaries. "Go introduce yourself."

"Yes, mom," Valay sarcastically replied. Izqus hissed something in Dosh and left the room. Valay approached the group who, unlike the other mercenaries, didn't have fear in their eyes upon seeing Valay.

"You the new guy?" The twi'lek asked. Valay nodded his head in affirmation. The twi'lek stuck out his hand. "They call me Reaver," he said. Valay didn't shake his hand; instead, he chose to remain silent. Reaver awkwardly withdrew his hand. He pointed at the Wookie. "That's Yaarbal, there."

The Wookie bowed her head as the male human stepped forward. . "Mandalorian?" He asked Valay.

"Yeah," Valay replied.

"Hm," the human male grunted. "Haven't seen one of your kind in years. Assuming, of course, you're a _real_ Mandalorian."

"I follow _Resol' nare_. I adhere to the six tenents: _Ba'jur, Beskar'gam, Aliit, Ara'nov, Mando'a, Mand'alor._ I was born and raised _Mando'ade._ I am a Mandalorian."

"Think you offended him, Sero," the female said. "Anyway, I'm Taya. I'm technically in charge of these four."

"Interesting group," Valay said.

"We make it work," Taya replied. "It'll be nice to have a Mandalorian on the team. At least for a while."

"Are these people yours too?" Valay asked, referring to the other mercenaries in the room, many of whom were still staring at Valay.

"These guys? Nah, they aren't mine. Kell hired them. They're pretty much cannon fodder, and they know it. We're the real muscle, they just take the blaster shots."

"These beings are weak," Yaarbal commented. "We are strong."

"What she said," Reaver sarcastically quipped.

"You been briefed?" Taya asked.

"Just told the basics," Valay replied. "Nothing more."

"Well," Taya started, "let's get you up to speed. We'll be intercepting some shipping vessels from Nar Shaddaa headed for Coruscant. We board the ship, take out the defences, eliminate the crew and secure the cargo. Then, we scuttle the ship."

"Pikka the Hutt owns these ships?" Valay asked.

"Yeah," Taya replied. "Kell's got some stick up his ass about Pikka. Frankly, I don't give a shit who owns the ships. For all I care, the Emperor himself could own them."

"Alright," Valay said. "Sounds easy enough. When do we head out?"

Taya looked past Valay at a clock hanging on the wall above the doorway. "About ten minutes."

"Good," Yaarbal growled. "I am ready for blood."

"I like you," Valay said to the Wookie. "Well, gang, I think we'll get along famously."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter V – Trap**

The ship silently travelled through hyperspace, the crew being very careful so as to not have their approach detected by their prey. The ship was a medium-sized cargo vessel – at least, that's how it appeared at first glance. If one were to actually examine the ship more closely, its true purpose would be immediately evident. The ship contained a number of retractable firing ports, armed with weapons designed to disable a ship's systems rather than outright destroy it. The hull was reinforced enough to withstand fire from a cruiser or destroyer, but only for the amount of time it would take to charge the enhanced hyperdrive and escape conflict. Half of the area that would normally be the cargo bay on such a vessel served as a weapons storage area, storing enough blasters and heavy weapons to equip a small army for war. The other half of the bay was taken up by two old LAAT/i Republic gunships, relics of the Clone Wars.

The crew themselves consisted of many of Kell's men, all criminals themselves. Most of them were experienced smugglers and pirates, themselves having done attacks like this many times before. However, the crew simply served to operate the ship. They wouldn't be participating in the actual boarding of the vessel. That was to be left to the four boarding teams, who would be responsible for securing the target ship immediately after exiting hyperspace.

Valay and his new team were waiting in the repurposed cargo bay. While the rest of his team were looking over their weapons in preparation for the raid, Valay was using his rangefinder to search the Extranet for any bounties on any of Pikka's gangsters. He considered it not outside the realm of possibility that one of the men aboard the target vessel may have a bounty on their head. He found a number of bounties and saved them to his heads-up display. He'd be sure to keep an eye out.

Valay's bounty search was interrupted by Reaver, who was looking at one of the LAAT/I's while loading explosives into his pack. "Ever been in one? One of the gunships, I mean."

"No."

"Neither have I. But I remember them, descending from the sky above Ryloth. I was visiting, you know. Just with a few friends-"

Valay held up his hand, gesturing for Reaver to stop. "Listen," he said. "I really don't care about your past."

"Fine," Reaver pouted. "Just trying to bond, is all. We _are_ part of the same team. We'll be watching each other's backs in there."

"You're right. We're on the same team. But that's it. I'm getting paid to work with you on this job. But we don't need to 'bond'. I'll keep you alive because I'm being paid to. That's the end of it."

"Alright, alright." Reaver retreated and went back to admiring the gunships. Valay had no intention of getting personal with these mercenaries.

The hyperdrive disengaged as the ship dropped out of hyperspace. The people inside felt the shift from hyperspace to normal space. That was their que. Everyone immediately dropped what they were doing and headed for their assigned dropships. The sound of the ship's ion cannons echoed throughout the vessel as they fired upon their prey, disabling its engines and eliminating any chance of escape.

Once the boarding parties had boarded their dropships, the pilots engaged the engines and the ships exited the hangar bay into the vacuum of space. Valay's dropship was cramped, being stuffed nearly to capacity with twenty-eight mercenaries shoulder-to-shoulder, waiting for the moment they disembark. Taya held a small holo-emitter in her hand and activated it, bringing up a layout of the target vessel. Their target was a large cargo freighter. It appeared unarmed, and although it was equipped with a shield generator, it was deactivated.

"Looks like the guns hit the shield generator," Reaver said. "Makes it easier to get in."

Taya had a skeptical look on her face. "Not so sure they did. First volley targets the engines before they can get the shield up. Second goes after the generator. We've only fired one volley so far."

"Sounds like Pikka's gotten smart," Sero commented, a smile on his face. "Maybe they'll actually put up a fight this time."

Yaarbal let out a howl. "Good! More blood for us!" she exclaimed, startling the other mercenaries.

Taya pressed a button on her holo-emitter and the internal schematics popped up. The words, 'Coriolis Shipyards Mk. 5 Cargo Vessel' floated above the schematics.

Taya pointed to an area near the rear of the vessel, on the starboard side. "That's our entry port," she said. "From there, we head here." She pointed to an area near the bow. "The bridge. We kill the crew, secure the bridge. Reaver, you know the drill. You're on scuttle duty."

"Gotcha," Reaver said, winking his right eye.

"Take some of the little guys with you."

"Little guys?" Valay asked, confused.

"Yeah, the other guys Kell hired. The blaster sponges." The other members of the boarding party, already nervous for the ensuing attack, became evermore anxious over Taya's referring to them as "blaster sponges".

"Moving on," Taya continued. "Valay, Yaarbal, Sero – after the bridge is secured, we're headed here." Taya pointed to an area near the aft. "The cargo bay. Our job there is simple – secure the cargo, torch what we can't get in the gunships. The other team is headed there first to clear it. We'll meet them there. Everyone know what to do?"

"Yeah," Sero said. "Hope the new guy gets it."

"Play nice, old man," Valay replied. Sero simply grunted in response.

There was an electric hum as the gunships passed through the hangar's shield door and entered the ship. The ships landed in the hangar. Immediately, the teams in both dropships slid the doors open and flooded into the hangar. Just over fifty mercenaries poured into the hangar, blasters raised. Upon entering into the hangar, Valay immediately notice something was amiss.

"This hangar's empty," he said. "No crew."

Reaver looked around the hangar, confused. "Man has a point. No crew, no boxes… Nothing."

"Keep 'em peeled," Taya said. "Might be coincidence, but I'm not risking anything." She pointed at a door on the far side of the hangar bay. "That's where we're headed. Come on."

The team – accompanied by a group of 'little guys' – headed through the door and entered into a series of corridors. They were as empty as the hangar. Throughout the entire journey to the bridge, the boarders hadn't encountered a single crewmember. As a result of encountering no resistance whatsoever, the team made it to the door to bridge in less than five minutes. They took positions at the door and prepared to breach it.

"Okay," Reaver said, "they _have_ to be in there. They have to be. Couldn't fly, otherwise."

Sero attached a charge to the door. He set it for five seconds and got back into position. Valay loved this part. Breaching a room and eliminating everything inside with surgical precision was exhilarating. Though it didn't to the feeling he had when involved in a high-intensity firefight, this brought an adrenalin rush that Valay lived for.

The charge blew, and the team quickly entered onto the bridge. As with the hangar, and the corridors leading to the bridge, it was empty. The instruments looked to be undamaged and in perfectly functional condition. It looked like there had once been a crew operating it, but they simply picked up and left.

"Dammit," Reaver said. "The fuck is going on here? This is too weird."

"Search the place," Taya ordered, waving her hand around the room. "Tear it apart. Find something. Anything. Logs, crew manifest – anything."

Reaver slung his rifle over his shoulder and reached for his pack. "Want me to start?" He asked, looking at Taya.

"Not yet," Taya replied. "I want to know what the Hell happened here. Then we can scuttle it."

Valay approached the navigational console and activated it. He scrolled through the nav-charts, searching for anything unusual. He found nothing of interest. The ship had made regular trading runs from Nar Shaddaa to Coruscant, as is to be expected from one of Pikka's cargo vessels. There was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary.

Valay shifted over to another console he recognized as the captain's personal console. It was left unlocked. He booted it up and took a quick look through it, once more finding nothing.

Then, he heard it – a barely noticeable beeping sound coming from beneath the console itself, underneath some panels. He bent down to examine it, and saw an odd red light coming from underneath. He immediately realized what it was.

Valay turned around and yelled, "Bomb!"

Taya's eyes widened. "Off the bridge!" she screamed. "Move it!"

Everyone immediately sprinted for the exit. The door opened and the team scrambled to get through. Valay and his team made it through before the door suddenly slammed shut, magnetically sealing shut and blocking the 'little guys' from escaping the bridge. The team didn't have time to look back – they just kept running.

Less than three seconds after the door sealed itself, the device exploded, destroying the entire bridge and ripping away part of the hall. The entire team was blown off their feet by the explosion. The team was thrown throughout the hallway, with Valay's helmeted head colliding with the wall on the side of the corridor. Magnetic clamps descended from the ceiling and sealed off the detached part, preventing loss of atmosphere and saving the team from being sucked into the vacuum.

Valay held his head for a moment while he lay on the ground. Luckily, the helmet took the brunt of the impact. He felt around the top of his helmet for any dents, but the helmet proved more than strong enough to avoid any sort of damage. Other than a minor headache – which was off-put by the rush of adrenalin – Valay was perfectly fine, if not slightly shaken.

He put his hand against the wall as he regained his bearings. He used the wall to help himself stand up. The hallway seemed to be spinning when Valay stood up, but that effect cleared up in a few moments. He saw that his team was also in-tact, helping each other up and trying to regain their bearings.

"I fucking knew it!" Reaver loudly exclaimed as he rubbed the back of his head. "I knew it was a fucking trap!"

Valay snickered. "Guess Pikka did get smart."

"I will rip her apart!" Yaarbal howled. "She will know fury!"

"Yeah, yeah," Sero said, helping himself up. "Save it for-"

The sound of blaster fire suddenly erupted from the other side of the ship, toward the cargo bay. The team ran down the hallway toward the sound of blaster fire. Not long after it began, a number of audible screams were interspersed between the sounds of shots.

The team arrived at the door to the cargo bay. What was left of the other boarding team was hiding behind a number of crates near the entrance, being fired upon from the other side of the large, open room. Over a dozen bodies of mercenaries lay in the open area.

The team rushed in and took cover with the rest of the other boarding party. Valay ducked behind a crate and prepared for combat. This is what he was hoping would happen. He was hoping it wouldn't just be a simple raid on an unguarded vessel. He wanted a real firefight.

Valay peeked over the crates for a moment to get a look at his enemies. He saw four separate targets, themselves behind various pieces of cover. He ducked back down just before a blaster bolt tore past his cover. He waited a moment before raising his rifle and peeking over once more. He looked through his scope to get a better view of the enemy combatants. He immediately recognized the distinctive shape of the armour they wore – they were fighting Imperials. He recognized the armour as a more reinforced version of Scout trooper armour, but coloured matte-black. He quickly fired off a few rounds and ducked back behind the crate.

"Imperials!" Valay shouted. "We're fighting Imperials!"

"Are you fucking serious?" Reaver replied. "Dammit! What the Hell is Pikka doing in-bed with the Empire?"

"I was kidding about that 'Emperor' thing!" Taya yelled out. "I wasn't serious!"

Sero peeked his head out to get a look at them. "There's only four," he said, ducking back down. "We can take 'em."

"Never seen guys like this," Valay said. "They're different."

"Sniper!" one of the boarding party yelled out. Immediately afterward, the mercenary next to Valay – who stuck his head out to get a look for less than a second – was shot in the head by a sniper bolt. His body fell limply to the ground. Valay didn't even need to look to know that he was dead.

One by one, the "little guys" dropped dead until all that remained was Valay's team.

"What is it?" Taya yelled out. It took a moment for Valay to realize she was speaking into her communicator. Valay quickly found the frequency on his HUD and tapped into it.

"We've got a problem," the voice on the other end said, presumably the captain of the vessel they arrived on. "An Imperial Star Destroyer just dropped out of hyperspace. We need to leave immediately."

Taya cursed under her breath. "Fall back!" she called out. "Back to the gunships! Move!"

Taya laid down covering fire while her team exited the cargo bay one-by-one, being careful to keep the Imperials' attention focused on her. When her team was clear, she made a break for the exit, just barely getting through the door as a blaster bolt hit the wall no more than a few centimeters away from her. Her team was waiting for her in the hallway.

"I said move!" she yelled at them. The began to sprint down the hallway. Just as they were about to round the first corner, Valay heard the door to the cargo bay open. He turned around a saw the black-clad Imperials coming into the hallway. He took position behind the wall and prepared to fight. He was just about to peek out of cover when suddenly he was pulled away from the wall and thrown in the other direction.

"Get back to the gunship," Taya ordered him. "We don't have time to fight!"

Valay knew that she was right. With a Star Destroyer waiting out there, their time was running out fast. He nodded in acknowledgment and followed the rest of the team. They ran as fast as they could to the hangar bay. They could hear the Imperials not far behind them, the leader shouting orders as they chased them.

The team charged into the hangar bay, preparing to escape back to their vessel. They boarded one of the dropships, with Sero heading to the pilot's seat. The rest of the team took position on the infantry deckplate and aimed at the door, ready to fire on anything that came into the hangar.

Sero slammed on the flight panels in anger. "Son of a bitch!" he yelled. "This thing's fried! It won't fly!"

Reaver turned around to take a look at the cockpit. He was just quick enough to see the vessel they arrived on being subjected to heavy fire from the Star Destroyer. Explosions erupted all throughout the vessel, and in a matter of seconds the ship began to break up, eliminating any chance of escape they had.

"Shit…"

Sero stopped hitting the flight panels for a moment. "What?"

"A… A Star Destroyer just fucked up our escape. The ship's gone."

Valay interrupted them. "Door's opening."

The team shot back to attention, aiming their weapons at the door and preparing for the last stand. A black-clad arm appeared behind the door and rolled a small grey canister into the room. They instantly realized what it was. Valay covered his visor with both hands and prepared for the inevitable.

A few short seconds after the canister was deployed, a deafening bang filled the room, and the team was blinded and left deafened, utterly unable to defend themselves. Valay's attempt to stifle the effects of the blast was in vain – he was left just as blind and deaf as the rest of his team.

He felt his rifle be kicked from his hands. He could feel himself being thrown out of the gunship and restrained on the floor, with his hands tied behind his back. His helmet was removed and thrown to the side.

He the blindness had finally started to wear off as he lay there on the ground. A black glove reached around him and brought him up to his knees. The first thing he saw was an E-11 blaster rifle pointing at his face, held by an Imperial standing just out of reach (if Valay could, in theory, use his arms).

"Got 'em, Boss," the Imperial guarding Valay called out. Another Imperial walked over, also armed with an E-11.

"Get them ready for transport," the one identified as 'Boss' ordered. "Take them to the _Falchion._"


End file.
